By Lisa I like to end my conversations with “Have fun.” Most people come back with a sarcastic “Oh, yeah, I’m just having a ball over here.” Why aren’t we having more fun? Isn’t life supposed to be…kinda…good?
Life can sometimes be anything but fun. Work can be stressful and unrewarding and just the whole ‘getting ready, finding something to wear and commuting through traffic’ part isn’t exactly a picnic either. Relationships can become complex and difficult over time. Expectations of how life is supposed to be as well as how reality is can be a major downer.
So how to get out of a case of the funks?
- Take control of your thoughts. Human beings, for whatever reason, tend to focus on the worst case scenario. Maybe it is because of some left over survival mode that was designed to protect us from injury or death, but we don’t have to accept those thoughts. You can control your mind by simply making an effort to focus on a more positive outlook. Just because your brain is hardwired to replay every disaster movie you have watched doesn’t mean you have to stay in the theatre.
- Change those thoughts to something you are grateful for, then something positive you are looking forward to doing. You will likely have to remind yourself to do this over and over because thinking negative thoughts has become a habit for most of us. But remind yourself that YOU are in charge of your thoughts and eventually your brain will look for the good stuff, not the bad stuff to dwell on.
- Got something you want to change? If there is a chore you are putting off doing, just do it now. Get off your endless loop of self doubt and indecision and just do it. If there is something about your life you want to change, take a step forward now. Make a plan and execute the first step. Stop wishing and go fishing.
- Make a bucket list. Write down all the things you want to accomplish, do and see during your life. Just the simple act of doing this will make a whole lot of it actually come true. And, the process of dreaming and planning something good is, dare I say…fun?
- Take a break from news and social media. Start off with a day off, then add another day. Take a week off. Take a year off. You will be amazed how little has changed but how much better your outlook on life will be if you stay out of the negative zone.
Ultimately what you think about and focus on is completely up to you. It is easy to slide down into a funk but remember–YOU are in control if you TAKE control.
You got one life. Make it worth the effort.